What steps should a woman follow before donating eggs?

The potential egg donor must be well-informed about the process first; this means she needs to know the implications and the legislation in the respective country in which the donation is supposed to take place.

There are laws that state that the donation must be altruistic, anonymous and that women must be between 18 and 35 years old. In some other countries such as the U.S., however, egg donors are eligible for economic compensation.

Potential egg donor candidates must follow four main steps:

Psychological and medical screenings

before a donor can be selected, the medical team must decide if the woman is suitable to donate. There are a series of tests, all highly controlled and selective, to check the woman's physical and mental health, as well as her reproductive capacity (ovarian reserve).

Ovarian stimulation

Once the woman is eligible for donation, she must undergo ovarian stimulation. This involves daily hormonal injections, for about 10-12 days, with the objective of obtaining a good number of eggs for donation. This process is simple and the egg donor will receive clear instructions on how to carry it out. During the ovarian stimulation, the medical team will monitor the egg donor's response by means of ultrasound scans and blood tests.

Ovarian puncture

When the medical team considers that there is an adequate number and size of follicles, the ovarian puncture is programmed in which the eggs are extracted from each follicle. It is a painless procedure since it is performed under unconscious sedation induced by an anesthesiologist. The ovarian puncture lasts about 15-20 minutes and the egg donor can return home after the procedure without the need for hospitalization.

Ultrasound control

alrededor de una semana después de la donación de óvulos, se realiza a la donante una última ecografía de control para comprobar la recuperación completa. Además, la donante de óvulos recibirá consejos ginecológicos y conocerá todos sus resultados médicos.

About a week after the egg donation, the donor undergoes a final ultrasound check-up to verify complete recovery. In addition, the egg donor will receive gynecological counseling and will know all her medical results.